WHAT’S HOT TO WATCH TODAY
THESE living history series keep on coming, don’t they? Off the top of my head, we’ve had Back In Time For Dinner, Back In Time For Christmas, Back In Time For Tea, Back In Time For A Slap Round The Chops With A Wet Haddock (disappointingly, that one never made it past the pilot stage) and Back In Time For goodness knows what else.
And now? Now we’ve got BACK IN TIME FOR SCHOOL (8pm, BBC2), hosted by Sara Cox, where each week a bunch of 14 and 15-year-olds will be experiencing what schoolroom life was like for previous generations. It kicks off in 1895, an era when the bulk of classes were segregated (the lads learned Latin and how to use rifles, the girls learned needlework and how to make beds) and when geography lessons appeared to focus quite largely on the dubious nature of Johnny Foreigner. ELSEWHERE, there’s yet another of those shows aimed at those of us anxious to shed the festive blubber. FOOD UNWRAPPED DIET SPECIAL (8pm, Channel 4) includes a look at whether we should give up meat and carbs in favour of fruit and veg-based options and whether a month off the booze is the secret to regaining your youthful complexion.
Also tonight, in episode two of MORECAMBE AND WISE IN AMERICA (8pm, Gold), we hear how comedy legends Eric and Ernie headed back to New York in 1964 to make their second appearance on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show.
Another British act on the show that same night consisted of four lads from Liverpool, wearing smart dark suits and strumming guitars. God knows what happened to them.